Railroad car coupler



June 1, 1943.

E. A. LARSSON RAILROAD CAR COUPLER Filed Oct. 5, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l fla 1..

, Snventor ERNST A. Lzwsson fz a 3.

8H W I (Ittorneg June 1, 1943. E. A. LARSSON 2,320,619

RAILROAD CAR COUPLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1942 3m entor ERNST A. Lzuzsson Patented June .1, 1943 RAILROAD CAR COUPLER Ernst A. Larsson, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to v The Ohio Brass Company, corporation of New Jersey Mansfield, Ohio, a

Application October 5, 1942, Serial No. 460,905 I 2 Claims. (Cl. 213-40) 7 This invention relates to car coupler mechanisms and in its more specific aspects is directed to a vertical centering device for a coupler, draft gear. A o

The object of the invention is to construct a vertical centering draft gear for a car coupler.

Another object of the invention isto construct a coupler draft gear whose parts are relatively axially movable and which i adapted for vertical adjustment with respect to the car onwhich it is mounted and the cooperating coupler element.

A further object of the invention is to construct a coupler draft gear tnatis adapted to adjust itself for vertical misalignment.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a car coupler draft gear in which the parts are separable and in which cooperating surfaces are formed about a common radius.

Other and further objects of the invention will occur to those skilled in the arts to which this invention pertains as the description proceeds which taken in connection with the accompanying drawings sets forth a preferred embodiment thereof, but such disclosure is not be construed as a limitation of the invention which is limited only by the appended claims and it is distinctly understood that any and all modifications, alterations, and variations of "structure coming within the spirit and scop thereof are deemed to be included herein.

In the drawings:

Fig; 1 shows a vertical section of the coupler draft gear in normal uncoupled condition. v

Fig. 2 shows a horizontal'plan'view of the de-' vice with parts in section to show details of con-' struction.

' Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing more of the details-in section. g

Fig. 4 shows-a plan view of one of the parts of the coupler.

Fig. 5 showsa side view of the coupling part turned 90 degrees from that-shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows a front or end elevational view 'of the part;

Fig. 7 shows the complemental'part pf coupling fitting the opposite end of the draft gear.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 3 in which the centers are tiled 5 degrees in' a vertical direction.

Railroad practice in the past has provided coupler mechanisms that achieve an alignment of the draft gear from any horizontally displaced position, but has not developed a completely 'efflcient mechanism in which a. vertical displacement or alignment of the draft gear with respect to the housing has been accomplished. Various expedients in the past have been adopted, but these have not proved satisfactory in that the parts were either too rigid to effect an'alignment from'the vehicle or else the mechanism was massive and extensive such as to preclude-its use in commercial practice. Bearing the above ideas in mind applicant has produced and developed an efficient and yet satisfactory draft gear that is capable of achieving an axial alignment of the shank of .the draft gear with respect to its housing and which will restore the proper vertical alignment when displaced therefrom. The applicant has, therefore, provided the following structure hereinafter more specifically set forth. In Fig. 1 there is shown the shank ofa female coupler head, which is more particularly shown for example in U. S. Patent No. 2,280,357, that i pivotally mounted in a clevis casting 2 by'means of a pivot 01' pin 3, suchthat the coupler has a controlled lateral movement about thepivot pin 3. A retaining means 3a'is provided in the lower end of pin 3 to hold it inposition in the clevis casting 2. The foregoing'structure is substantially the same in character as previously developed structure and is well kngwn inth'e' artsfto, which 'this'inv'ention pertains. v The clevis casting 2 is provided ith a sha'nlg 4 on which is mounted a front follower block 5' and a rear follower block Gin such awayf't the shank 4 can axially slide back and forth side of the openings injt f follower blocks v ands. Shank 4 at itsforward' en shoulder 'or'collar element is inserted a bar or lrey" Shaving itsj endsfeirtenw.

. ing over the rear surface 'of' rear follbvi'lenbil oclri '6 so that a maximum separation between lthe front follower block 5 and therear block 'fi'is' limited by the distance between sho der 'or col-1' lar 1 and the inside surface fill "of key}. I Barjor key 9 is held in place in"the' shank 14' against removal by apinfor rivet 9a..

Disposed between the front follower, loloclg' '5') and the rearblock 6 "under? rprea ternimedt hfl SiOIi is a rather ne v'y' coil spring I; arranged in;

such a way thatittends to 'separate'thejollo blocks and 'thusk'eeps thfro'nt follower block 5 pressed up against shoulder or collar 1 and the rear follower block pressed up against-the inside surface ID of key 9.

The follower blocks 5 and fi re substantially rectangular in shape as more particularly shown in Figs. 4 through 7 in so far as their projection from front or rear is concerned and their outside top and bottom corners are rounded into convex cylindrical surfaces having their axes coincide with horizontal lines that are normal to the coupler center line and extend to both sides of this center line. 'Thus corner surfaces l2 and I3 on front follower block 5 are cylindrical and have their axes at l4, and corner surfaces l5 and IS on rear follower. blockfi are cylindrical'with their axes at IT.

The follower blocks 5 and 6 and the spring II are completely enclosed in a housing l8 that is rigidly attached to the vehicle for which the coupler device is provided and for convenience of assembly, the housing l8 may be made into 2" halves or parts and joined together at If! by bolting or in any other convenient way the accomplishment of joining the parts is achieved by providing appropriate flanges on the housing portions and 2| and inserting through an aperture therein a bolt or screw element 22, the latter maintaining the housing parts in a predetermined fixed relationship. To prevent any possible relative movernent of the parts to the vehicle or movement of the parts with respect to each other,

the dividing line, or surfaces between the two are off-set indifferent portions thereof, as indicated itself against the follower block 5 will cause one of the surfaces thereof to engage the corresponding concave surface of the housing 18 in a form of a rolling action and thereby restore the axis of shank 4 to its normally horizontal position.

It is further evident that if an external force presses upward on the coupler element the inverse of the foregoing action will take place, but the function of spring II will not be altered.

By the same token should there at any time be an abnormal movement of the coupler housing with respect to the shank 4 the same action will take place. .Regardless of where the external force originates the action of spring I I will at all times tend to restore the axis of shank 4 to a position co-axially of that of the axes of the housing in which it is mounted.

at 23. It is evident therefore, from the foregoing,

The inside upper and lower corners I of the front ends of the housing [8 have concave cylindrical surfaces that coincide with the previously mentioned convex cylindrical surfaces on the follower block and the dimensions of housing It! are such that when the front surface of front follower block 5 is in contact with shoulder or collar '1 on shank 4 and at the same time that the rear follower block 6 is pressed against the inside surface [0 of key or bar 9' then all the convex cylindrical surfaces l2, l3, l5, and I6 are in contact with the corresponding concave cylindrical surfaces in the housing [8.

From the foregoing description and with specific reference to Fig. 1, it is evident that the coupler will be held in the horizontal position with the shank 4 disposed substantially axially of the housing l8 as long as the convex cylindrical surface l2, l3, l5, and H; on the follower blocks 5 and 6 are held in contact with the corresponding concave cylindrical surface in housing l8 by reason of the tension in spring II.

It is evident that any tendency to displace the coupler from the horizontal position either up or down tends to move one of the follower blocks 5 or 6 in a direction against the tension of spring II and unless the force tending to move the coupler out of the horizontal position is sufficient to overcome the tension in spring II the coupler will still remain in horizontal position.

Fig. 8 shows the shank of the coupler that has its axes deflected downward about 5 degrees under an external force suficient to move the front follower block 6 backward against the tension of spring H and to further compress the Figs. 4 through 7 as previously indicated show the front follower block with side view thereof in which Fig. 4 is rotated 90 degrees from Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 shows an end view of the follower such that the character and extent of surfaces is more clearly evident. s

Fig. 7 shows a side view, of follower block 6 with a depression So at the outer end thereof. The bar or key 9 is adapted to seat therein and thus prevent any unintentional motion of the follower block 6 with respect to the bar or key 9.

That which is regarded new, novel, and useful and which is shown to beprotected by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. In a railroad coupling; a housing for the draft gear thereof; a collar portion thereon near one end thereof; said draft gear having a shank whose axis extends substantially axially of said housing; follower blocks on said shank; one end of one of said blocks normally abutting said collar; a pin inserted in the other end of said shank and the one end of the other follower block abutting said. pin; a spring extending between saidfollower blocks and surrounding said shank; said follower blocks having substantially curved contact surfaces with said housing; the internal ends of said housing having a curved contact surface complementary to the curved contact surface of said follower blocks, the axes of curvature of the curved surfaces of said follower blocks lying along the axis of said shank; and said spring and curved contact surfaces restoring said shank to a normal horizontal position whenever displaced therefrom by an external force.

2. In a coupling draft gear; a separable housing therefor; a bar having a coupler clevis thereon, said bar and its axis extending axially of said housing; said housing having internal concave cylindrical surfaces at each end thereof the radii of which lie on the axis of said housing; follower blocks on said bar having convex cylindrical surfaces thereon concentric with said concave surfaces when said shank is in a horizontal position and adapted to engage said housing concave surfaces; the axis of curvature of said blocks'lying on the axis of said shank; a spring on said bar extending between said follower blocks; and said follower block convex surfaces, said housing concave surfaces and said spring acting to restore said bar to its axial position whenever displaced therefrom.

ERNST A. LARSSON. 

